Airdrieonians 0
Ayr United 1
League (League One)

Match Report

Ayr United rose to second in the table after a hard fought 1-0 win over Airdrieonians in front of 308 travelling supporters.

The game was shrouded in controversy after McAusland was sent off for a second yellow card but Marenghi scored his first goal for the club with a sublime free kick to give Ayr three points.

Mark Roberts made one change from the side that defeated Arbroath with the goalscorer replacing the manager.

Michael Moffat passed a late fitness test and started up front with Kevin Kyle.

The first half was a drab affair with neither team in the ascendancy.

Airdrie’s best chance of the game arrived after 35 minutes when Martin Hardie rattled the ball goalwards but David Hutton pulled off a miraculous save.

One minute earlier, Ayr saw the ball crash off the crossbar from a thunderous Marenghi free kick.

As the half drew to a close, Kyle McAusland picked up a booking for a challenge which was to come back to haunt him.

With 51 minutes played, the on loan Rangers defender stormed forward but was halted on the edge of the box by Martin Hardie. In the melee that followed, McAusland was adjudged to have retaliated and was sent off.

Marenghi then stepped up and rifled home the free kick into the top corner, giving Scott Gallacher no hope of making the save.

As the game drew to a close, Ayr’s strength of character shone through and they held on to secure another precious victory in their search for a promotion play-off place.

After the match, Mark Roberts said: “We had a number of star performers in the match including Kevin Kyle. He was one of the main reasons we won that game as he holds the ball up front and relieves pressure from the defence.

“Pope and Lithgow were both excellent and Scott McLaughlin bossed the midfield.

“I think we have better players than a lot of the teams in our league and we’re starting to show that now.

“We’re not playing our best football at the moment but still winning games which is a great thing to see.

“Marenghi’s free kick was a touch of class. I had a feeling he would score it because he’d hit the bar in the first half.

“It was a magnificent strike. No keeper in the world would have been able to save it.

“Before the goal we had a man red carded and I don’t think it was a sending off. McAusland only confronted Martin Hardie after he fouled him. There was no contact made.”

Marenghi was elated post match and said: “I am absolutely ecstatic with my goal and didn’t know how to celebrate it.

“It is my first senior goal and something I’ll always remember, especially because it turned out to be the winner.

“After a few weeks out of the team, the manager put me back into the starting 11 and I’m glad I repaid the faith he had in me.

“We are now second in the table which we are all delighted with but there is still a long way to go in the season so we’ll be aiming to continue our good form.

“The fact we’ve picked up six points in our last two games without playing our best is a great sign.”

Match report written by AUFC Online